Retro rockers Major Tom take northern sound west

Jun 16 2010 by Simon Rushworth, The Journal

A MUSICIAN from County Durham is making his mark in the American Midwest. Simon Rushworth talks to Stephen Kilkenny.

A NORTH East songwriter is rocking all over the world after securing a major international distribution deal for his band’s debut album.

Stephen Kilkenny grew up in rural County Durham before his love of the electric guitar drew him to the bright lights of London.

But it was only when the talented musician swapped the UK for America’s Midwest that he finally grabbed the opportunity to realise a lifelong dream.

Now Kilkenny, originally from Croxdale near Spennymoor, is one of the rising stars of the Milwaukee scene as the face of retro rockers Major Tom.

“Major Tom came together by necessity,” he explained.

“The bass player and I were in another band but I got sick of trying to find the right fit.

“In the end I wanted to write an album on my terms and A Night On The Lash is the record I always dreamed of.

“In the other bands I’ve been in, people have always influenced the songwriting from a commercial point of view but there was no pressure in that respect this time.

“This is the music which I have huge empathy for and hopefully that’s reflected in the songs. There are retro roots but it’s essentially material from the heart. It was so natural and so easy writing this album and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved as a band.”

Kilkenny has played more than 100 shows across the Midwest with Major Tom but without a major label deal he turned to the internet to get the band’s record heard.

“We’ve played a huge amount of gigs in the States. We did a good couple of years playing 50 or 60 shows a year right across the Midwest.

“We picked our way through all of our material, looked and listened to what the crowds were responding to, and put together the tracklisting for A Night On The Lash.

“Now we have an international distribution deal with iTunes and 40 other outlets worldwide.

“The first day that the album came out I had a look to see what was going on and our first sale was to some chap who lived about a mile from Lake Geneva! How crazy’s that?”

Kilkenny is now planning Major Tom’s first full UK tour with a return to his native North East top of the agenda. He added: “I scouted out a few venues on my last trip home earlier this year.

“I still love coming back to County Durham and it brings back a lot of very fond memories. Croxdale is a small village and I went to the colliery school there.

“There were a couple of older kids who lived in the village who influenced me when it came to music but it’s always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

“Now I live in Milwaukee and it reminds me very much of Newcastle. Traditionally they’re both big brewery and manufacturing towns but you don’t get Philippa Thomson reading the weather over here – that’s the only negative as far as I’m concerned!

“It’s a good place to live and in the Milwaukee Summerfest they boast what could well be the biggest music festival in the world. I’ve been to Glastonbury, Reading, T In The Park and Download and it’s way bigger than all of those ones.”

Major Tom’s debut album A Night On The Lash is available on iTunes now. Go to www.majortomrocks.com for more information on the band.